Now that the parts are all out of the box I can appreciate some of the design choices made on this model:
- The wire supports for the floats are a robust 3.5mm, The main landing gear is even thicker at 4mm. I expect these to do pretty well to withstand the stresses of normal flight operations.
- The tailwheel support looks quite weak and I'm afraid the plastic bushing/support will rip off the back of the fuselage pretty soon.
- the adjustable collets on the inside of the main gear wheels were a pleasant surprise.
- the 12.6mm hollow fiberglass wing rod feels quite strong. It seems to average about 2.25mm in thickness. It is 18-1/2" in length and weighs 40 grams.
- The propellor for the plane feels beefy, but the plastic spinner and backing plate looks quite cheap. Propeller has a 6mm shaft and 10mm recess for a hex nut.

- The stock BNF receiver looks well glued in place with ample white adhesive and may take some time for me to gently remove it from the mounting plate under the fuse.
- The wing struts have been reported to be easily broken. They look really weak to me and look like they will shear off easily in a minor crash due to the weight of this model. I wish they had been made as a break-away part that had some kind of click-fitting holding them in place.
- I like the bolt-on tail and have never had a plane with a removable tail empennage before. I hope there is some carbon fiber in there as I'm sure I'll need it.
The battery hatch and...Continue Reading

I received the model just five days after ordering online at Tower Hobbies during their sale on Dec 14. Package arrived in perfect condition one day early. Of course I had to leave work the minute I got the word it arrived The timing was perfect as things are slow for me this December at work.

Most importantly I got ready to unbox the plane with a frosty Rogue Brewing Dead Guy ale, tunes rocking on the bluetooth speaker, a clean workbench, and awesome shop cat, Jasmine, to supervise.

The plane was not a re-pack and fit tightly in the shipping box. The model was exquisitely packed into the very custom-engineered foam brick. On top were the floats, the wings were vertical to the side, and the fuselage on the bottom. Accessories were packed into separate foam compartments and there was nothing rattling around.

The cardboard protecting the bare motor shaft end was hardly dented at all and I could tell this model had received excellent handling. I was dismayed when I first saw the yellowed cellophane tape on the packaging - which usually indicates old and overheated storage conditions. I was relieved to observe the tape was fresh and not brittle. Perhaps the tape is slightly colored for visual quality-control reasons or that a non-clear tape is still functional but cheaper to produce.

This model is highly prefabricated and looks like it would assemble quickly. The finishes and level of detail on the model were very good at this price point and size in my...Continue Reading

I bought an E-flite Maule M-7 BNF Basic w/AS3X and SAFE from Tower Hobbies' website while on sale for US$229 on 12/14/18. I had been wanting a replacement plane like my beat-up, rebuilt, multi-crashed and now lost, Tundra for a couple of months and the sale with free shipping sealed the deal.

I plan to fly LOS off grass, petromat (fabric) runway, and water. Have little need for aerobatic capability so may stay on 3S power for a scale-like flight envelope. I have other planes for speed and crazy stuff.

I've learned a few things over the past year and hope to have a successful "relationship" with this model. I received the model today, unboxed it, and have the following initial plans for the model:
1. Remove and sell the AR636A receiver as I fly Taranis and have never used stabilization or panic recovery features. A local club member may be interested in it. I have not decided which receiver to use yet and have a few in my kit to consider.
2. Apply a surface protection such as clear water-based polyurethane for the wings to extend the life of the initial out-of-box appearance. The wings come with a matte finish that shows dents and most-likely will pick up dirt and stains. Plan is to use a gloss finish.
3. Beef up the plastic tailwheel bearing/support because it looks like a bug fart could break it off. Looks like weight may have been a design consideration at the tail of the plane.
4. Laminate the fuselage, battery hatch, horizontal...Continue Reading